Ten Commandments for Lean in Government (and Beyond)

Practical Leadership Principles for Sustainable Continuous Improvement

Lean is not just for manufacturing. And it is not just about tools.

In this webinar, Harry Kenworthy shares ten foundational principles for successfully applying Lean in government — and in any organization seeking lasting improvement.

Drawing on experience working with Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Toyota suppliers, and public sector agencies across the country, Harry outlines what separates tool-based Lean efforts from true culture change.

If your organization has tried Lean… or is considering it… this session will help you avoid common pitfalls and focus on what really matters.

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What You Will Learn

• Why customer needs must define your improvement efforts
• How to set bold, challenging goals that drive real change
• The difference between Kaizen events and daily continuous improvement
• Why benchmarking is essential in public sector organizations
• How simple visual data collection increases engagement
• The hidden impact of rework and error rates
• Why 5S applies beyond manufacturing — including offices and information
• The leadership behaviors required to sustain Lean
• How to move from tools to culture
• A proven path for launching and scaling Lean successfully

Why This Matters for Government and Beyond

Government agencies face increasing service demands, budget pressure, and workforce attrition. Many organizations are being asked to do more with less.

Lean offers a way forward — but only when implemented thoughtfully.

This webinar explains:

• Why most Lean efforts stall at the tool phase
• How leadership commitment shapes sustainability
• Why culture represents 80–85% of successful implementation
• How coaching builds capability across the organization
• Why eliminating waste improves service, capacity, and morale

The principles shared apply not only to government, but to healthcare, education, nonprofits, and private industry.

Key Themes Covered

Customer First

Everything begins with understanding what the customer truly needs — including clarity, accessibility, and simplicity.

Challenge with Purpose

Set goals that require new thinking. Incremental improvement rarely produces breakthrough results.

Make Problems Visible

Use simple visual systems to reveal waste, errors, and rework — without blaming people.

Benchmark Generously

Public sector organizations have a unique opportunity to learn openly from one another.

Develop Leaders, Not Just Tools

Coaching, PDCA, and A3 thinking must start with leaders before they cascade to teams.

Who Should Attend

• Government leaders and managers
• Continuous improvement professionals
• Lean practitioners in public or private sectors
• Healthcare and education leaders
• Anyone seeking to build sustainable improvement culture

About the Presenter: 

Harry Kenworthy is Principal and Manager of the Quality and Productivity Improvement Center (QPIC, LLC). He worked with Dr. W. Edwards Deming in 1983-85 on a series of seminars, and has spoken at over 90 conferences on Quality, Productivity, Lean, and Six Sigma. He has been published several magazines including Quality Progress, Purchasing, and Government Finance Review. Harry also had working relationships with Dr. Joseph Juran and Dorian Shainin.

He was one of the first practitioners to apply Lean in the Government sector in the mid-90’s. Harry’s consulting work has included numerous Government processes that have been improved by removing waste, reducing costs, or increasing revenues in a variety of operational steps while reducing overall process cycle times and improving customer service.

Harry is a founder of the Connecticut Quality Council and chaired CBIA’s (Connecticut Business and Industry Association) Manufacturing Council, a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Examiner from 1989-1991, and has held a CT Professional Engineer license and a Certified Quality Engineer designation.